Unemployment for Workers

NYS Unemployment Insurance
|
NYS Department of Labor

1. How it Works

If you lost your job and it was not your fault, you might be able to get unemployment insurance. Unemployment insurance will give you some money, based on what you earned. To get insurance, you must be looking for a new job.

If you worked in New York State within the last 18 months, you have the right to file a claim for benefits

You can claim your benefits weekly for up to 26 weeks while you are unemployed

Requires a valid Social Security Number and government-issued ID card

It takes three to six weeks from the time you file your claim to receive your first payment

By providing your email address or phone number, you agree to be contacted by the City of New York regarding your ACCESS NYC public benefit screening results. Your activity on ACCESS NYC is anonymous, but providing your phone number may identify you and reveal that you used the website. To find out more about how the City might use the data you share with ACCESS NYC, visit the Terms of Use for NYC.gov, and Privacy Policy for NYC.gov.